Tag: Health

Today in California, the Republican National Committee passed the resolution proposed to the Resolutions Committee by Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema that re-supported the party platform and defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.

Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema issued the following statement in response:

"Social Conservatives in recent weeks were disheartened by the rhetoric coming out of the Growth and Opportunity Project with regard to moderating our position on gay marriage.  Simply put, if the party moderated its stance then many of our voters and social conservative leaders would have left the party.

We responded by bringing significant attention to this important issue and ultimately passing a resolution at the RNC that re-confirmed our party platform in favor of marriage being defined as being between a man and a woman.

I am pleased with our success in the face of unrelenting criticism from the left and want to thank national social conservative leaders who made their voices heard loud and clear in this process.

I hope that we can all now move forward and talk about other issues now that we have reconfirmed that our party supports traditional marriage.  We have won the battle, and I will have nothing more to say on this matter."

Thank you Mr Agema.  Thank you for re-affirming the strength of character that the Republican party is supposed to represent.  Thank you for the light you have shed on the dark forces within our own party.  Thank you for the courage to take fire from those who stand in opposition to strong families, and healthy citizenry. Thank you for persisting, and prevailing in your well considered arguments.

You have done us proud.

I have been adding to this all week, and have tried to make it as concise as possible, but as more information became available, editing was required.  Let me know if any clarification is needed.

I wrote at the beginning of the month about the coal fired plant in Marquette being threatened by a new and extremely aggressive set of EPA  rules.  The shutdown of that plant of course would leave in question the future of paper mills, and the electrical needs of yoopers.  At least the future of the cost being at all affordable.  The jobs that would be lost as higher costs come to bear also joined by a literal health care crisis as fewer would be insured, and less money in the pockets of those Michiganders would encourage poorer health choices.

Health, of course is the victim of the 'boogeyman' coal fired power industry.  You've seen the ubiquitous American Lung Association "coughing baby" ads supporting the Obama EPA's push to shut down the coal industry, right?  What might surprise you is that those ads are funded in part by Chesapeake Energy, the country's second-largest natural gas producer.

Coming amidst an impending decision by the EPA on the Utility MACT (maximum achievable control technology)  rule that is expected to lead to job loses, plant shutdowns, and rolling blackouts across the country, this strange partnership raises a question.  What does Chesapeake stand to gain, by pouring money into a seemingly disparate organization with extremely different objectives and priorities? Politico writes:

The ads come as the coal industry is at war with the Obama administration over new rules to curb pollution from coal-fired power plants. The EPA is expected to issue new rules on Friday to curb air toxics from power plants, which are estimated to cost industry about $10.9 billion each year.

Stricter rules for power plants are expected to offer a competitive advantage to the cleaner-burning natural gas industry.

The message has been picked up by the Michigan Senate. Lawmakers have considered the conflicting sides to the availability of medications that contain substances used in the manufacture of illicit drugs, and have found a reasonable solution. The message to Representative Lori?  Thank you for the concern, but maybe we don't need to go so extreme.  From a press release:

CHPA Lauds Senate Passage Of Electronic Tracking Stop Sale Solution Protects Consumer Access, Blocks Illegal PSE Sales

Lansing, MI - The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) today released the following statement in response to the Michigan Senate unanimously supporting SB 333, which provides the state with electronic technology to monitor and block sales of common cold and allergy medications containing pseudoephedrine if the purchaser exceeds the legal limit:

"Today's vote in the Michigan Senate is a victory for law-abiding citizens who need rely on cold and allergy medicines containing pseudoephedrine, and a defeat for meth cooks who seek to illegally purchase these products to manufacture methamphetamine," said Elizabeth Funderburk, spokesperson for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).  "Electronic stop sale technology is working across the country and it will work in Michigan.  It is a common sense solution to the stop illegal sales and provides law enforcement the tools it needs, while preserving consumer access to safe and effective medicines."

This legislation is more along the lines of the successful measures used elsewhere in a way that doesn't compromise the ability to purchase desired relief without taking out a loan on the dog.  In the first article on this series, I mentioned the better method adopted by 12 states already.  

As always, we have a strong desire to have all of our countrymen healthy and able.  And right now it also wouldn't hurt for Mr Hoekstra to be back on the front line fighting against the leftist tide that seems to have rolled in..  the sooner the better.